Symbols

The Portrait of Ladislaw’s Grandmother

A miniature portrait of Ladislaw’s grandmother appears
several times in the text and is symbolic of Dorothea’s future choice
of giving up wealth for love. Ladislaw’s grandmother also gave up
wealth to be with the man she loved. The portrait hangs in Dorothea’s
bedroom at Casaubon’s house, and Dorothea often recalls the portrait when
she thinks of Ladislaw. When Ladislaw comes to say goodbye to Dorothea
in a tense conversation filled with romantic subtext, Dorothea offers
him the portrait as a parting gift. When Ladislaw refuses it saying
he has no need for the past, he indicates that the chance they will
end up together remains.

Raffles

The character of Raffles symbolizes the ominous return
of the past. Most often he appears as a lone black figure walking
down the country roads and is described as a man of ill-repute and
questionable background, associating the danger of the past with
the unsavory lower class. His repeated appearance disrupts the sanctity
of Middlemarch, for he ties together the dark pasts of Bulstrode
and Ladislaw. His death fuels neighborhood gossip that almost forces Ladislaw
from town, causes Bulstrode’s downfall, and brings about the climax
of the novel.